Error correction code is typically used as a technique of supporting high-speed information communications, communications using long-distance communication lines, or a combination thereof. The error correction code is used to correct a bit error in a signal received by a receiver.
A technique of correcting a transmission error using forward error correction (FEC) is standardized in an optical transport network (OTN) widely used in the field of optical transmission networks. For example, RS-FEC is standardized in International Telecommunication Union (ITU)-T G. 709 standard. Super FEC higher in error correction capability than RS-FEC is standardized in ITU-T G. 975.1 standard.
More complex arithmetic calculation is to be used to increase the error correction capability. An error corrector may be implemented using a circuit module such as large scale integration (LSI). To increase the error correction capability, a circuit scale of the circuit module is enlarged, and power consumption involved is likely to increase.
Techniques described below are disclosed as related art. In a large-zone radio transmission system including relay stations, mobile stations, and fixed stations, each station includes an error correction unit featuring a plurality of error correction methods. An error correction method is selected with a view to a line quality of radio transmission line. When the line quality is degraded, the error correction method is switched from one method to another. The error correction method providing a minimum error ratio is selected in response to the line quality. The radio transmission having a high line quality is established without reducing transmission efficiency. Such a technique is discussed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 9-116486. Techniques related to the error correction are also discussed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication Nos. 2004-15172 and 2010-41108.